The present invention relates to neck rolls for helmets, and more particularly, to neck rolls that are adapted to absorb forces when impacted.
There are a variety of commercially available helmets designed to protect a wearer's head during sporting, recreational and occupational activities. Most protective helmets include a hard outer shell that forms a portion of the helmet designed to be impacted, and a liner adapted to fit between the hard outer shell and the wearer's head.
While the wearer engages in activities, they may experience an impact to the front, sides, or crown of the helmet. This impact can cause the helmet and, consequently, the wearer's head to rotate or snap in a lateral or posterior direction. If the impact is significant, the helmet and wearer's head may be rotated such that the rear edge of the helmet impacts the dorsal/back side of the wearer's head/neck. In this situation, a significant portion of impact to the helmet may be transmitted directly to the neck, spine and/or musculature of the wearer.
Some helmet configurations attempt to address this type of frontal impact and incorporate a cushioning element that cushions the back of the wearer's head and neck during an impact. For example, certain helmets include a continuous, uniform foam pad or “neck roll.” These foam pads, however, are only as good as the compressible foam from which they are constructed. Such neck rolls can be in the form of a long cylindrical foam piece that extends around a lower part of the helmet and is interposed between that lower part and the neck, shoulders and/or back of the wearer when the helmet is donned. Further, these continuous, uniform pads usually do not offer an opportunity to easily vary the impact absorption characteristics along a length of the pad, or to vary the impact absorption characteristics between foam pads. Usually, such conventional pads use foam or similar liquid-absorbing materials absorb sweat or other fluids during use. Over time, these pads may develop an undesirable odor that requires the pad to be washed or replaced.